Tattoo
by KhaosKitty
Summary: Bakura's gone. Ryou has no reason to keep troubling Malik. Malik doesn't deserve it. ONESHOT. Angst-fluff. Ryou X Malik. Please R&R!


**Title: **Tattoo

**Song: **Tattoo by Jordin Sparks

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Rating: **13+

**Pairing: **Ryou Bakura and Malik Ishtar

**POV: **3rd person

**Summary: **Bakura's gone. Ryou has no reason to keep troubling Malik. Malik doesn't deserve it.

**Authors Notes: **I'm sorry to those reading Vicious Cycle, but it's on hiatus. I won't be updating for at least a month, in the interest of ridding my mind of all these oneshot plotbunnies and improving my writing in the process. Back on subject, this is not only my first songfic but also my first Bakura-beats-Ryou and non-BakuraXRyou fic! My chavvy roommate kept playing this song, and although I complained, the lyrics got my inspiration cogs working on overdrive. I do hope you enjoy it, and of course I haven't permanently changed pairing, I just thought I'd add some variety. :3

**Disclaimer: **Yes, it's true. Kazuki Takahashi is actually a 13 year old girl living in Devon. And pigs fly at 3:42am across the world every Sunday, but no one ever notices. And I don't own the song either.

Ryou and Malik Written/spoken words

_Ryou and Malik _Description/Commentary

**Ryou and Malik** Song lyrics

* * *

_On a coffee table in an apartment rented out to two teenage boys, there's a note._

_Two sheets of neat, lined paper. Beautiful italic writing._

_The note reads:_

Dear Malik,

I've been keeping something from you for a while.

You've probably noticed that I've been avoiding you in the past month.

Ever since Yugis yami defeated Bakura, I haven't known what to do with myself.

Everything that kept me as your friend seemed to disappear.

**No matter what you say about love  
I keep coming back for more  
Keep my hand in the fire  
Sooner or later, I'll get what I'm asking for**

The times when Bakura would beat me, and you'd treat my wounds and tell me the pain would soon end.

When I'd wake up to find that Bakura had taken control of my body again, and there would be blood under my fingernails, and you'd wash my hands and tell me I'd done nothing wrong.

When I'd not want to leave the house because people loathed me, you'd hug me and tell me things would change in time.

All these memories are so precious to me.

You always said there was no point falling in love, that being tied down to someone would bring only sadness.

I can't say that I agree with you, the love I've felt has been the only scrap of hope left in my life for quite some time.

By now you'll probably have worked out who brings that hope.

**No matter what you say about life  
I learn everytime I bleed  
That truth is a stranger  
Soul is in danger, I gotta let my spirit be free**

You would always say 'life's a bitch', that you always have to wait for justice, and being a good person required patience and tolerance.

That's true, and if so, I think you must be a really good person.

I'll never know what made Bakura want to hurt me.

When he'd hit me I'd wonder, maybe be envied me? Maybe he was unnerved by me? Or maybe he just hated me as he did everyone else.

But I know I got to him somehow.

But that's not important now, he was a lost cause, and now he's gone.

**To admit that I'm wrong  
And then change my mind  
Sorry but I have to move on  
And leave you behind**

**I can't waste time so give it a moment  
I realize, nothing's broken  
No need to worry 'bout everything I've done  
Live every second like it was my last one  
Don't look back got a new direction  
I loved you once, I needed protection  
You're still a part of everything I do  
You're on my heart just like a tattoo**

I always valued your understanding, your friendship, and now I have to stop lying to myself.

I'm in love with you.

I know you'll never feel the same way for me, and that's fine, I don't want to be a burden.

That's why I'm leaving.

Now Bakura's gone, I can live for myself, I'm _not_ a lost cause.

I can put everything behind me, and to do that, I have to leave you behind.

I'm sorry I became so close to you, and I won't forget you, that I can guarantee.

**I'm sick of playing all of these games  
It's not about taking sides  
When I looked in the mirror, didn't deliver  
It hurt enough to think that I could**

**Stop, admit that I'm wrong  
And then change my mind  
Sorry but I gotta be strong  
And leave you behind**

I need to stop kidding myself that I can forget everything and yet keep you in my life, you probably don't even want to know me anymore.

The idea of losing you scared me - hell, it still does - so bad that I wanted to stay in this confused state, as long as you were there with me.

But I can't do that.

I'm leaving tomorrow.

Thank you, Goodbye, I love you.

Ryou

_Next to this note, there is another._

_A yellow post-it note. Chunky capitals._

_This one reads:_

Ryou,

You were never a burden.

Being with you taught me so much.

Learning is fun.

I love you too.

Malik.

P.S: I'm on the balcony.

**If I live every moment  
Won't change any moment  
Still a part of me and you  
I will never regret you  
Still the memory of you  
Marks everything I do**

_On the balcony, the two stand, embracing eachother._

_The smaller, paler of the two, is crying, shuddering in the others arms._

_The taller, tanned one strokes the others white hair and whispers words into his ear._

_"Just stay with me. I want you with me always. Like a tattoo."_

_He stops sobbing and nuzzles into the others sandy hair, and reaches down his back to finger the hieroglyphics engraved into his back._

_Then he peers into his wild, violet eyes._

_He smiles,_

"I love you Malik."

"I love you too Ryou."

**Just like a tattoo  
I'll always have you**

* * *

R&R darlings! :D


End file.
